Case for timepieces



July 24, 1934. E, L, CARLSON 1,967,286

CASE FOR TIMEPIECES Filed Jan. 30, 1932 Patented July 24, 1934 PATENT Eric CASE FOR TIMEPIECES Elof L. Carlson, Bristol, 001111., assi nor to The E. Ingrahamfiompany, Bristol, Conn., a corporation Application January 30, 1932, Serial No; 589,786

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvement in cases for timepieces and particularly to cases for wristand other watches, though not so limited.

One object of my present invention is to provide, at a low cost for manufacture, a telescopic case for timepieces which will effectively exclude dust from the timepiece proper therein.

' A further object of my invention is to provide a case of the type referred to which will serve to support the winding-andsetting stem, or other manually-operable projecting member, without causing the same to binder cramp. I With the above and other objects in View as will appear from the following, my invention consists in a watch case having certain features of constructionand combinations and arrangements of 'parts' as will be hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in rear elevation of a watch case constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the back casemember detached;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the front casemember detached;

Fig. 4 is a broken detail View partly in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 but on a larger scale;

Fig. 5 is a broken transverse sectional View taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1 but on a larger scale; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the spool-like dust-guard detached.

The particular wristavatch herein chosen for the illustration of my invention consists, as shown, of a cup-shaped back case-member generally designated by the numeral 10 and preferably struck up from sheet-metal to form a backplate 11 and an integral continuous flange 12' forwardly offsetting from the edge thereof to form complementary end-Walls 1313 and complementary side-walls 1414. One of the sidewalls 14 of the flange 12 is formed in its edge With a forwardly-facing notch 15 for the purpose as will hereinafter appear.

The back case-member 10 above referred to is adapted to have its flange 12 inserted within the correspondingly-shaped rearwardly-offset flange 16 of a front case-member generally designated by the numeral 17 and of substantially cupshaped form. The embossed front-plate portion 18 of the said front case-member 17 is provided with a central sight-opening 19 through which the dial 20 of the Watch-movement may be observed and which is closed by the usual crystal 21 in any approved manner.

The flange 16 of the front case-member l'l is' shaped to form end-walls 2222 and side-Walls 2323 respectively complementing the walls 13-13 and l414 of the case-member 10, within and against which they snugly fit. One of the said side-walls 23 is formed in its edge with a rearwardly-facing notch 24 adapted, when the back case-member and front case-member are assembled together, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing, to align with the notch 15 in the flange 12 of the said back case-member. When the case-members 10 and 17 are assembled as described, the notch 24 in the flange 16 in the front case-member faces rearwardly, and the notch 15 in the back case-member 10 is aligned with the said notch 24, but'faces forwardly in opposition to the latter notch.

Clamped in and between the oppositely-facing and aligned notches l5 and 24, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, is a spool-like dust-guard 25 having an axial passage 26 and having its periphery cut away to form an annular groove 27 flanked on its respective opposite sides by annular flanges 28-28, which latter are spaced apart a distance corresponding substantially to the combined thicknesses of the flanges 12 and 16 of the respective case-members 10 and 17.

Extending through and bearing in the axial bore 26 of the spool-like dust-guard 25 is the winding-and-setting stem 29 of a watch-movement generally designated by the numeral 30, and which may be of any approved type not requiring detailed description herein. The outer end of the winding-and-setting stem 29, closely adjacent the outer face of the dust-guard 25, is provided with a knurled finger-button 31 in the usual manner of watches.

As thus installed, the spool-like dust-guard 25 not only serves toprovide a conveniently-located bearing for the stem 29 but serves to stabilize between its flanges 2828 the flanges 12 and 16 of the respective case-members and, in addition, serves to effectively exclude the entry of dust and dirt into the interior of the case. Thus, instead of attempting to cause the winding-and-setting stem 29 to bear directly in the notch 15 and in the notch 24, I interpose the novelly-shaped dustguard 25, which serves to effectively seal the said notches 15 and 24, despite any small irregularity in the shape or location of the same. Also, since the spool-like dust-guard and bearing-member 25 is not directly secured to the watch-movement but is axially movable relatively to the watchmovement, it is not necessary to have the telescoping-case parts made with great accuracy, as my improved construction takes care of the minor variations of manufacture which normally occur in quantity production.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that my invention may assume varied physical forms without departing from my inventive concept, and I, therefore, do not limit myself to the specific embodiment herein chosen for illustration, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a timepiece case, the combination with a time-movement and two complementary reversely-facing cup-shaped case-members telescopically interfitting so that the respective flanges thereof overlap and each formed in its flange with a notch aligned with the notch of the other case-member; and a rigid spool-like dust-guard installed in the said aligned notches and formed with an axial bore for the passage and bearing of an operating-member and with a peripheral groove of suflicient width to accommodate the notched. portions of each of the said case-members the respective flanges of the said case-members being overlapped in turn by the said spool-like dust-guard, said spool-like dustguard being freely axially movable relatively to said time-movement 2. In a timepiece case, the combination with a time-movement and two complementary casemembers, each provided with aflange telescopically interfitted with the flange of the complementary case-member so that the same overlap each other, each of the. said case-members having its flange provided with a notch aligned with the notch in the flange of the complementary case-member; and a rigid spool-like dust-guard installed in the aligned notches of the flanges of the said respective case-members and formed. with an axial passage for the passage and bearing of an operating-member and with complementary annular flanges, one of which latter overlaps the inner face of the flange of the inner case-member around the notch therein and the other of which overlaps the outside of the flange of the outer case-member around the notch therein, said spool-like dust-guard being freely axially movable relatively to said time-movement.

3. The combination with a time-movement, including a winding-and-setting stem therefor; of a case for the said time-movement comprising two complementary reversely-facing cupshaped case-members telescopically interfitted so that the respective flanges thereof overlap and each formed in its flange with a notch aligned with the notch of the other case-member; and a rigid spool-like dust-guard installed in the said aligned notches and formed with an axial bore through which the said winding-and-s,etting stem projects and in which it bears and also formed with a Peripheral groove of a width equal to the combined thickness of said two notched flanges of the case-members, said peripheral groove forming opposite end-flanges on said dust-guard to. accommodate the notched portions of each of the said case-members with the respective flanges of the said case-members being overlapped in turn by the end-flanges of said spoollike dust-guard, said spool-like dust-guard being freely axially movable relatively to said timemovement.

ELOF L. CARLSON,

kOO 

